Thanks very much for the input and pix fellas..... Keep those cards and letters coming. So I'm wondering, do "we" think that the Parker factory used recoil pads with "spurs"......or not??

tjw

I believe both types were installed by Parker Bros. in Meriden, depending on what was ordered and what the stocker had to work with. Certainly this small sampling is inconclusive at best. More often than not however, I believe when a gun was ordered with a recoil pad the stock would have to have been cut to add the pad and still attain the LOP that the gun would have been ordered with, thereby eliminating any relief that would have been cut into the wood to allow for the 'standard for the grade' spurred buttplate. This would not likely have been the case for the higher grades which normally would have had a skeleton steel butt plate as these would have been cut and fitted to meet the requirements of a particular order and the lower grades with spurred "hard rubber" dog's head butt plates would have been produced in runs for inventory.

C Grade Hammer
 

Dave,
Here are a few pictures of the C grade.

Why do you think that the engravers could do such a great job on the dogs, and a so so job on the ducks? Great gun by the way.

What ducks....?

But check out those wonderful whimsical flying turnips!

Great gun indeed!!

I had a fella with alot of Parker experience tell me that Parker NEVER used a recoil pad with a spur.... I just wanted to post here to ask alot of guys with alot of experience as I personally found his statement hard to believe.

Dean, thanx for your answer....sounds very plausible to me.

Wow. Nice hammer gun. Is that fluid steel or Damascus?

Most of have learned that when it comes to Parkers we never say "Never". :cool:

FWIW I have a DHE 16 made during the transition period that has a Silvers pad but no spur.

Wayne, Thank You soo much for the pictures. You have a wonderful gun there!